How to be brave

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If you could substitute your fear today with love, how differently would you live?

I’ve seen it; you have too. The shy, in-the-background woman suddenly can keep quiet no longer. Someone she loves is threatened, and she has to speak up.

That’s what love can do to us.It makes us brave.

The world can be a hard place. It often requires things of us and ways from us that we don’t feel equipped to give—time, energy, money.

And courage.

The world needs our courage.

It needs us to speak up for the powerless.

It needs us to create peace in chaotic places.

It needs us to love those who don’t love back.

I received a short supply of courage by nature. I’ve always wanted more. And now that I’m an adult, I’ve seen the need for more.

But there’s only one way my human tendencies toward worry and timidity can be overcome: By love.

Specifically, the love of God.

We need a safe home base because it can go bad for us out there. We can be betrayed, knocked down, and even have our physical life ended by other people or circumstances. It’s the risk we take when we choose to step out in love.

It’s the risk Jesus took when He loved. Look where it got Him: He was betrayed, knocked down, and even allowed His life to be snuffed out.

But because Love is always stronger, He arose. And because His love now lives in us, we, too, can rise up to be brave.

God’s love is the only unshakable foundation that can’t be moved. No one can take away our safe place in God. Only through Him can we be truly brave. To go. To do. To love. Even to die.

Because we are loved, we can look reality eye-to-eye and keep moving forward.

Because we are loved, we can take chances to love others who are hard to love.

Because we are loved, we can give ourselves away trusting God will replenish us.

To err on the side of love is the brave thing to do. In God’s love, we are safe.

Stay in His love today and do the next thing He’s calling you to do. Even if you have knocking knees, a fast-beating heart, and a mind that says, “I’m scared!”.

Fear says, “What if . . . ?” Love says, “What can be . . . ?”

His love is bigger than our fear. May He make us brave.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! . . . The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Psalm 118:1,6

It is in His love that we find our courage. When we feel totally secure in Him because of His love for us it truly does help us to grow in our courage…to reach out and help those who are being threatened by life’s circumstances. Great post, Lisa.

When I think about any “scary” thing that I’ve done in the past few years, I also have to reflect that it was God’s love that sustained me in it. It’s the only place of truest security, yes? Thank you, Dianna, for encouraging many of us to grow in our courage.

Thanks Jerralea. It does come back to love–our greatest motivator. From small things to “big” things. Love pushes us to do more than we’re comfortable with if we didn’t have Love. But the rewards are worth it in the long run.

Lisa, I think it’s more complicated…fear can inspire the highest courage. Not fear of the opponent, so to speak, but fear of letting down one’s mates.

I’m Asian, so to me, the loss-of-face thing may be genetic, but please hear me out.

We are part of a whole, and honour demands that we maintain our post in that totality. It’s been described as “love for the bloke in the next hole”, but it’s a bit more, and different…it’s that you’re terrified of never being able to hold your head up in the company of your mates, or with your cobbers in Valhalla.

Beyond that, true courage is simply hanging on for one more minute. Sometimes it comes from having no other viable options. You have to do SOMETHING, be somewhere, and sometimes you’re just too bloody tired to run, so you stand.

I’m rambling, and I’m sorry. The past 24 hours have been terrifying, and vile. An indicator of What Is To Come, for me.

I have no choice. Something awful’s upon me, and all I have is the next minute. Courage is meaningless in this place.

But this much I know. I will not, in mewling self-pity or self-comforting excuses, dishonour the memory of my dead mates. This battle is fought with smiles and cheerful words, not with bullets and 40mm M-79 rounds (I loved flechette, by the way, great way to alter someone’s intentions). But they are watching me, and I will give them reason to nod approvingly.

And God, when I meet Him, will stand aside to let me pass, because when I step onto the streets of gold, I will, pardon my arrogance, I will bloody own them.

You have been and are a very courageous soul, Andrew. I hear that from you. I also hear lots and lots of love. I agree that fear is also a super strong motivator, but I believe love trumps even that. You’ve proven much love through your service to your comrades, and also now through your great care and love to rescue dogs. Rest, brave soldier. I pray for God’s love to surround you in supernatural ways in these hard, hard days and nights.

Lisa, thank you…right now, after a day and evening that were just not possible to describe, it’s kind of gone beyond courage into a place that…I don’t even know what to say. Heck of a thing for a writer. I just don’t have words, nothing that would miss the traps of pretentiousness and cloying sentimentality.

I’d be frightened, but it hurts too much, and I’m too tired to be frightened. All I can do is rest, because tomorrow starts in a few hours, and I have the duty.

This is SO hard sometimes: “It needs us to love those who don’t love back.”

Lisa, there are quite a few times since I’ve known you that I wish I could shadow you for a week and absorb some of what God does through you. You’re amazing (because you show God’s love). Thanks for being you and sharing what you learn through your journey as you let God work through you.

I’m certain you would be terribly disappointed at the ordinariness of my life if you followed me around for a week, Caroline. :) Although it is amazing to me how God often chooses the most ordinary things to reveal himself through.

I know your own life reflects the Spirit’s breath as you homeschool and deal with all the situations and complications that come with that territory! Your post this morning on “Love Sees Opportunities” really moved me. Excellent!